The Other Side
by killah-sama
Summary: HIATUS //Albumfic: Three Days Grace's OneX – Mult KradDaisukeDarkSatoshi pairings// Love is nothing to them. Dark wants only to live, Krad to control, Daisuke to hurt, and Satoshi to feel. But love is Life. Power. Pain. Feeling. Love is everything to them
1. It's All Over– Krad

I will say this _only_ once. I do not own **_ANYTHING_**. One-X does not belong to me and DNAngel does not belong to me – so don't sue me! And this is _not quite_ a songfic, ff-dot-net, so don't go deleting it please. nn;;

Each chapter has been inspired by the songs of **Three Days Grace's **newest album, **_One-X_**, and each chapter's order in the story will correspond to its song's order on the album. These chapters may be shorter than the long chapters I usually write, because short chapters mean faster updates. I plan to get this thing out of my system quickly before I lose interest, so sorry 'bout the shortness. n.n;;

**Chapter:** 1/12**  
Pairing:** Dark/Satoshi  
**Characters: **Krad, Dark, Satoshi; slight Daisuke

**Complete One-X Playlist: **youtube_(dot_)com/view_(underscore)_play_(underscore)_list?p_(equal sign)_55DF31E4069401F1

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_Because of you my mind is always **racing**  
The **needle's** breaking your skin  
The scar is sinking in  
And now your **trip** begins but  
It's all over for…  
**You**_

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**it's._all_.O.V.E.R**

_Daisuke, where are you? Krad…he's getting out of control._ Dark winced as one of Krad's magical feathers ripped straight through the tough sleeve of his leather jacket. He had just gotten his own body a few hours ago, and _already_, Krad was hell-bent on destroying it.

_I'm trying to get to you as fast as I can, but _you_ have With and I don't even know where you are!_

_Well you're not trying fast enough,_ Dark grunted through their quickly fading mental connection. _I'm at the –_

It was the worst possible moment for their only means of communication to snap and diminish…but it did anyway.

With a roar, Dark hurled his own attack at the merciless blonde, dodging a blast of golden energy. "Hey _freak_!" he called out. "Quit trying to kill me!"

"Never, you pointless excuse for a Hikari art!" Krad bellowed back, his eyes wide and his pupils constricted in that insane way of his. "Once I have carried out your death, your powers will be transferred to me and I alone will become _Kokuyoku_! This is your own fault." Another feather was thrown at Dark's feet, exploding immediately on impact. "If those stupid Niwas of yours hadn't separated us from our hosts, you would have been spared such a painful death."

"Don't insult the Niwas," Dark ordered, dancing out of the way of an entire hoard of long, needle-sharp feathers. "They're my family."

"To become so attached to _humans_, my stupid other – you truly are a fool!" Krad shouted, his fingers daintily grasping a glowing white feather. "It will be a pleasure to destroy you." He flung the feather right into Dark's face.

"Not fast enough, blondie!" Dark cackled cheerfully, creating a magical field in front of him that neutralized the other's attack. Just like when they had been anchored to their hosts, Krad was all bark and no bite. He could _never_ destroy Dark Mousy!

As soon as that thought crossed Dark's mind, a whirring sound filled his ears. With a startled gasp, he turned around.

"_ARRRRGGHHHH!_"

The thief's scream pierced the air as he fell onto his rear. His eyes clouded with a glassy haze and he moaned lowly, slowly letting his entire upper body drop to the floor like a limp rag. "Krad… You bastard." He let out a hacking cough and blood spurted from his mouth, splattering all over his heaving chest

Krad merely chuckled. His while boots clacked against the linoleum floor as he stepped confidently toward Dark's fallen form. "_So_, Dark." He leered sadistically down at the twitching angel, kicking him in the side and extracting a weary groan from him. "Where's your witty banter now?"

Torrents of blood seeped from Dark's chest, where the sneaky hoard of long, needle-sharp feathers he had dodged earlier had all embedded themselves. The red, sticky liquid stained and soaked his leather-clad abdomen, dripping to the floor and pooling together to form one ominous scarlet puddle.

"Where are your tricks, your smirks, your victories?" Krad's eyes widened with glee and his already constricted pupils grew even smaller. "I'll tell you where, Dark Mousy: they're all rotting in hell! But don't worry." He lowered himself down to the ground, propping himself up on one white-clad knee. Another glowing white feather, larger this time, materialized between his fingers, and he trailed it down Dark's cheek. "_Soon you will join them!_"

The blonde angel raised his arms, firmly intent on plunging the magical feather straight into his counterpart's heart, when a shout echoed throughout the room.

"STOP!"

Krad whirled around in surprise. "You!"

Dark's bleary eyes wearily turned within their sockets to face their visitor, widening a fraction of an inch in surprise as he did so. "You…"

Satoshi stood leaning against the doorway, his face pale and sunken and his body frail and sick looking. However, in contrast to his half-dead appearance were his eyes. They lacked the usual glass covering of his unneeded glasses, thus revealing every emotion within their depths: hate, anger, confidence, defiance, and a spark of something else.

Victory.

The usually detached blunette smirked down at his ex-angel, crossing his arms in a seemingly nonchalant manner. "Me," he returned.

"Satoshi, leave this place at once," Krad ordered. "You might get yourself hurt."

Satoshi scoffed. "Don't pretend to be concerned about me. You and I both know you're only worried that I might somehow stop your evil plan."

Krad's feline eyes flashed. "Just leave."

Satoshi uncrossed his arms and walked away from the doorway, slowly stepping toward the two angels. "Krad, all my life you've controlled me. You've ruined my childhood, you've hurt me, and you've done everything possible to make my life a living hell." He stood directly behind of the blonde, towering over his kneeling form. "But now we're separated, and you can't do that anymore."

Krad stared up at his ex-tamer. "And so?"

"I've felt firsthand the pain and torture you put people through. I won't let you do it to Dark. I _have_ the power to, so I _will_ end your life right _now_."

There was a long pause.

"…You cannot kill me, Satoshi," Krad finally said, breaking the silence. "You lie."

The smirk on the blunette's face only widened. "I never said I could. I _can't_ kill you, Krad, but sharing a body with you has given me one and only one advantage over you. I know your weakness."

Krad looked mildly shocked. "Weakness? I _have_ no weakness."

Satoshi let out a low chuckle. "That's the advantage. I know this weakness of yours…while _you _don't. Good-bye, Krad." And with that said, he raised his leg and stomped harshly on the old linoleum flooring.

There was a loud smashing noise and Krad seemed to freeze as the world went into slow motion. Slowly – very slowly – his neck twisted back to eye the source of the noise, and he was greatly surprised by the sight that greeted him.

Garnishing the panels of the dusty floor were the messily shattered pieces of some intricately carved item, strewn all over the place in no noticeable pattern.

Shattered pieces.

Intricately carved item.

"M-my cross?" Krad muttered once the realization had sunk in. "Satoshi…" Pulsing tawny eyes traveled down, to where the fragments of his once beautiful cross surrounded the curled end of his long, golden plait. "You little _bastard_."

"The source of your magic is gone now," Satoshi said quietly. He raised a steady hand and clamped it over his left bicep, where a bloodstained shard of the ruined cross had been flung through the veneers of his shirt sleeve and pale skin and into his thin flesh. "You have about as much magic with a feather as I do. This is it, Krad – your reign over the Hikari bloodline is over."

Krad stared wide-eyed at the blunette, though his fogged eyes didn't see him at all. Turning away from the bleeding Dark, he fell onto his palms and scrabbled wildly at the fractured pieces of metal all around him with gloved hands. "S-Satoshi." His gaze raised itself up toward said boy's, even more hazy than before. "How. _Dare._ You." As soon as the last syllable left his pale lips, the once powerful blonde crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.

Satoshi stared down at the unconscious body of his tormentor with a silent moment of peace and distaste until a wheezing cough from Dark's lips broke him from his silence. "Dark!" He kneeled before the thief and pulled him into his lap.

"Satoshi…" A fresh wave of blood dribbled down the purple-eyed one's bottom lip. "Thanks for stopping the blonde freak… Tell the Niwas…and tell Daisuke…that…"

Satoshi resisted the urge to smack the already injured angel, instead opting to interrupt him mid-death speech. "Idiot. You're not _dying_. Don't tell me that you're _this_ weak."

"Hey… 'M'not weak," Dark objected softly. "But…I lost so much blood…"

Satoshi frowned. "…I can…I can heal you," he said after a long pause. He extracted the cross piece from his left arm, letting a strangled yelp and a strained wince escape him. "Hikari blood… When ingested, it can heal magical injuries."

Dark lifted his heavy head off of Satoshi's lap and managed to raise himself up to his knees. "No wonder you stubborn Hikari buggers always manage to keep coming at me." Covered in blood and sweat and breathing heavily, he mustered up a half-hearted smirk. "But you're not half bad, Satoshi."

Satoshi let a bitter smile curl onto his lips as he gingerly plucked the razor sharp feathers from Dark's punctured chest. "Who told you to think like that? Was it Niwa-kun?"

Dark grabbed the pale hand that was nursing his injury, stopping Satoshi from continuing. "As hard as it is to believe," he murmured fondly, "I can think for myself." With his free hand, he violet-eyed teen dug as gently as he could into the blunette's open wound.

Stifling a sound between a cry of pain and a cry of surprise, Satoshi slapped Dark's hand away. "What are you _doing_ –?"

Dark shushed the cerulean-eyed boy with his bloodied finger, smearing the dripping red liquid over his lips. "Like I said…you're not half bad." Without so much as a warning, he crushed their lips together, his cold, blood-encrusted ones against Satoshi's wet, coppery ones.

Almost at once, all the energy used up and lost during his and Krad's battle returned to him, urging him on. The metallic flavor of blood sent his head reeling – or was it Satoshi who was making his head spin? No matter. The unique taste, laced with the faintest hints of mint, fueled his advances. He pushed the other to the floor, climbing on top of him and pressing his crimson-drenched chest to Satoshi's. With a playful shift of his hips, he opened his lips invitingly, welcoming the Hikari's tongue into the hot recesses of his mouth.

As the two delved deeper into each other, the fallen Krad lay motionless a couple of feet away.

His unnaturally golden hair was splayed out in rivulets of topaz like a beautifully artistic portrait, released from the binding of the metal cross. The menacingly shining pieces glittered all around him, winking and glittering in the dim lighting like fallen stars.

It was all so clear. As a new relationship between former foes began to unravel in the middle of that old, stuffy room, something had ended.

His magic.

His power.

His control.

It had all ended for Krad.

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_And now you're **dead** inside  
Still you wonder why  
When you're on the edge and **falling off**  
It's all **over** for you (for you)  
And now you're dead inside  
Still you wonder why  
It's all **over**_

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**Killah:** Look at Dark. xD Half dead one minute and making out the next. Yep. That's our Dark. xDDD Anyway, please excuse my immense suckiness. I'm not a huge fan of DarkxSatoshi. But this fic will have as many Krad/Daisuke/Dark/Satoshi pairings as I can fit in. This one looked like a good one to start off with. n.n Yay for DarkxSato fans. And you must **_review_**, by the way. XD Thanks.


	2. Pain– Daisuke

My reviewers totally kick ass. Never have I received such heartfelt, honest feedback. Thanks a _lot_, guys. Seriously.

**Chapter:** 2/12  
**Characters: **Krad, Daisuke**  
Pairing:** Krad/Daisuke; Daisuke+Satoshi

**Complete One-X Playlist: **youtube_(dot_)com/view_(underscore)_play_(underscore)_list?p_(equal sign)_55DF31E4069401F1

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_You're **sick** of feeling down  
__You're not the only one  
__I'll take you by the hand  
__And I'll show you a **world** that you can understand  
__This life is filled with **hurt  
**__When happiness doesn't work  
__**Trust me** and take my hand  
__When the lights go out you will **understand**_

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**P_.a.i._N**

Daisuke winced and plodded along the park trail with no real destination in mind. His feet treaded heavily on the paved track, the soles of his shoes scuffing the concrete. His usually vibrant face was pulled into a melancholy grimace, the customary luster in his scarlet eyes dulled.

As the redhead walked, alone and in silence, he couldn't help but feel swindled out of everything he had ever offered to anybody. Satoshi had Dark and Dark had Satoshi. Daisuke had no place in their relationship.

This hurt him; questioned the significance of his being. But what adamantly ingrained itself into his mind, his heart, his living _flesh_, was the betrayal.

Daisuke _loved_ him. But _he_, the one person Daisuke had put all his trust and faith into, had taken him away.

It wasn't supposed to _be_ that way. _He_ was supposed to be with _Satoshi_ – not anyone else, and certainly not the playboy Dark.

Daisuke could feel a watery film of oncoming tears pool at the corners of his eyes. Always.

He _always_ envied Dark. Dark was tall, gorgeous, confident, mysterious, and famous – everything Daisuke was not. He was the kind of man people really liked, really wanted to be around. He was adored by Risa, Daisuke's first crush. He eventually won over Riku, Daisuke's second crush. And, if there was even the smallest possibility of things getting worse, then they obviously did. Dark was most probably out there somewhere playing tongue hockey with Satoshi, Daisuke's _love._

"He was supposed to be _mine_."

The dam broke loose and hot trails of liquid rolled down Daisuke's cheek. He felt like screaming, felt like cursing Dark's entire existence, but his throat had closed up. He felt like shutting his eyes, felt like shutting the entire world and all its stupid inhabitants out of his mind, but his eyelids refused to obey him.

"But then Dark…"

The tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, leaving behind dry tracks that stiffened his skin. The distraught redhead fell onto the grass on all fours, letting his head droop and his forehead graze the ground. His shoulders shook as sobs racked his body, and the tears expelled from his eyes fell to the floor, creating fine drops of darkened dirt. He blinked furiously, urging the salty liquid from his system, but it only spread to his upper eyelid, making his vision glossy and unclear.

"Wing Master…"

"…took him away!"

"_Niwa_!"

Daisuke's head snapped up at the hauntingly familiar voice that had been trying to grab his attention. His hair whipped all about and several teardrops flew from his cheeks. Through vague, liquid eyes, he immediately recognized the blurry form of Krad, whose bright golden hair and white-clad figure instantly revealed his identity.

"K-Krad." Daisuke wiped at his eyes with the back of his hands, blinking to rid himself of his own liquid sadness. "W-what are you doing here?" He straightened up and scooted back in hopes of getting away from the blonde madman.

Krad stared at him through unreadable eyes, face drawn blankly. "Who was supposed to be yours?" he asked, ignoring Daisuke's question completely.

Daisuke's eyes widened. "You heard me?" he whispered, oblivious of the fact that he had been talking aloud in the first place.

Krad's face never even twitched. "Who was supposed to be yours?" he repeated. "The person Dark took."

Daisuke dropped his head in shame as Krad's face gained a calculative facet.

"Satoshi?"

Daisuke didn't look up when Krad guessed right. He closed his eyes to rid the image of this dangerous angel and his mocking sneer from his mind. He was in no mood to be ridiculed for his emotions and attractions. The unfeeling other would never understand what love felt like; what heartbreak felt like.

However, he was startled when the air beside him shifted and a weight rested against his shoulder. Cracking one eye open, Daisuke's vision was assaulted by the silky strands of finely spun bullion that topped Krad's head. The other sat beside him, legs loosely bent and arms behind him, supporting his upper body.

"Do you hurt, Daisuke?"

Daisuke started. Were his ears deceiving him, or did Krad just call him by his first name? It sounded oddly…right.

"Do you hurt?" the angel repeated. No emotions betrayed his true intentions. His voice held nothing; there was not a trace of concern, curiosity, or contempt beneath his words. He simply stated his question.

On that fateful night wherein the redhead hadn't even been present, Krad had lost all of his powers. Despite this fact, Daisuke did not dare to gaze into the tawny cat eyes that usually held disdain and bloodlust for him in their depths. Instead, he studied the ground with rapt attention, drawing his knees to his chest and hugging them meekly. "…Yeah."

There was a moment of silence before Krad finally spoke. "Do you _want_ to hurt?"

Daisuke's head snapped up, and he twisted his head to the side, thunderstruck. "Are you insane?" he asked rhetorically. "Do you think I _like_ feeling like this?" Uncurling himself from his downcast ball, he felt a brief surge of anger rack through his body, but he kept it bottled in fear of invoking Krad's fury. He controlled his voice, although he had to pause and exhale deeply before actually speaking. "Do you think I want to be pushed aside like this? That I wanted to have the person I love taken away from me by my best friend?"

Daisuke's eyes widened lividly as he heard a familiar sound escape Krad's lips. "Are you _laughing_ at me?" he demanded accusatorily, drawing himself up to the tallest height he could manage whilst still sitting down. "Laughing at my _depression_?"

In a split second, Daisuke found himself flat on his back with a smirking Krad towering above him. With his arms outstretched in a spread-eagle fashion and pinned down by Krad's strong grip, his struggling proved to be futile. He was completely vulnerable.

"K-Krad." Daisuke couldn't keep the fear and panic out of his voice. "What are you doing? Get off me…" He flailed his upper body up and down and tried to pull himself out of the blonde's grasp, but Krad's hold over him was steadfast.

"No, Daisuke."

The way he pronounced Daisuke's name made the carmine-eyed boy in question shiver. _Da. Ie. Ske._ Why did his name sound so natural coming from a killer's lips?

"You misunderstand me." Blatantly ignoring the smaller boy's attempts to break free from his hold, Krad smirked – and, with his dominating position over the other, arms pinned and hips straddled, he had every right to do so.

"What is there to misunderstand? Get off me! Are you trying to rape me, or _what_?" Daisuke demanded.

Taking no heed of Daisuke's hysterical speaking, Krad continued on as though the other wasn't thrashing about frantically. "I was not laughing at _you_ – simply your take on the word hurt. Boy, you are a sentimental creature with the soul of a saint; it is sickening. You naturally assume I spoke of the hurt in your heart." The angel's grip tightened painfully, nearly dyeing reddish welts into Daisuke's imprisoned wrists. "And so I will ask you again: Do you want to hurt?"

"No!" Daisuke snapped. "I don't care what _kind_ of pain it is – I just don't want it. I don't want any of it." He cringed, feeling little crescent-shaped marks engrave themselves into his wrists where Krad's nails were digging into the skin.

"That's the thing about _life_, Daisuke." Krad's face seemed to loom closer to him, eyes cold and foreboding. "You can never be completely painless; it is simply not allowed. It's either pain of the heart or–" Krad released the other's wrists for a split second, sliding both hands a bit farther down to intertwine his fingers with Daisuke's limp ones. "–pain of the body."

Confused and slowly taking in this statement, Daisuke would have never predicted the blonde's next move.

With glittering topaz eyes, Krad swooped down, thus closing the already small distance between their faces. Their lips pressed together in a soundless crash, causing Daisuke to gasp in surprise at the unexpected move. The dominant male wasted no time in entering the redhead's mouth with his tongue, expertly mapping out each and every virgin crevice of it with vigor.

Daisuke could do nothing but let the blonde plunder his defenseless mouth. However, he was torn between one decision and another: try to struggle…or _let_ Krad continue. To his own disgust, Daisuke found himself enjoying Krad's ministrations, _wanting_ them – _not_ wanting them to stop. There must have been something wrong with him.

He was supposed to love _Satoshi_, not his psycho counterpart, Krad. What kind of love did he have, if the moment another locked him into a kiss, he forgot about the blunette that had caught his affections?

Krad's tongue coaxed Daisuke's invitingly, rubbing it in invitation to join the fun.

But Krad… Krad seemed so gentle. Had Daisuke not been pushed into a kiss with him at that moment, he would have thought the other to be ruthless and cruel in this sort of situation. Contrary to his beliefs, the blonde was being very warm, and so very appealing. Daisuke was sorely tempted to give in.

Fortunately for his wavering control, Krad pulled away just in time, licking his lips enticingly, as though Daisuke's mouth had been a tasty treat. Daisuke blushed at the ridiculous thought.

"Were you hurt at all during that?" Krad questioned.

Daisuke stared up at the other. "…I'm supposed to love Satoshi…" he mumbled, barely loud enough for Krad to actually hear him.

Krad smirked. "What's this, little Niwa? Are you betraying your love?" His seemingly innocent guess had hit home completely. "That can't be good for you – to feel the guilt seep in." Each word began to slur together into one silkily smooth buzz from Krad's lips, a buzz that rocked Daisuke's heart and made his remorse for his wanting soar. "To feel like a traitor to the one you're supposedly in love with. To feel like a monster, harboring such conflicting emotions. Tell me, Daisuke." Krad nuzzled the frozen redhead's neck, his voice low and guttural. "Doesn't that hurt you? Don't _I_ hurt you?"

Daisuke stiffened. "You're _trying_ to hurt me!" he cried out, craning his neck down to push Krad away from him.

Krad pulled away, his golden eyes mocking. "Of course I am. But to hurt is to help, dear Wing Master. I'm being good to you, gentle with you, but that only hurts you, because you think you're betraying your _precious Satoshi_–" He couldn't keep the disdain out of his voice. "–by _liking _it. But what if…" Krad released Daisuke's wrists, though he remained straddling the other's slim hips. "What if you could enjoy me? Without all the guilt your puny heart instills within you?"

"I _can't_," Daisuke replied earnestly, almost unaware of the lack of Krad's fingers around his wrists.

"You are not to say what you can and cannot do without trying," Krad hissed. "I am offering you this chance, Daisuke. You can still be his, but I will make you forget. I will make you better. I will hurt you." It was funny how Krad could put those last two ideas together and have them sound so completely rational. To make Daisuke better, there would be pain involved. It _sounded_ absurd.

But to Daisuke, it was plausible.

"I…I…" However, to Daisuke, it was still a decision to be made, an offer to be accepted. His speech faltered and all he could do was gaze at the serious-looking blonde.

"Do you want to taste it, Daisuke? Taste the sweet flavor of pain, of _release_? Because that's all it is. It is release. Relish. Right." Without waiting for an answer, Krad pushed his lips against Daisuke's once again, his hands slithering around the redhead's abdomen and underneath the back of his shirt.

In the midst of the tenderness Krad had started off with, Daisuke gave a loud gasp when the blonde forced his mouth open with a sharp nip to his bottom lip. With his blunt canines, it was a surprise that the skin broke and spilled a smidge of blood. However, this was nothing to dwell over. Krad's forceful tongue paid his well being and comfort no heed, pressing itself into uncomfortable places and exploring nearly halfway down his throat. Daisuke felt the need for oxygen bubble in his lungs, but Krad still seemed to be going on strong.

It was then that Daisuke made the realization of the freedom of his hands. Frantic for air, he put his arms into action and grabbed Krad's shoulders, trying to pry his lips off his face.

Krad grunted his displeasure and harshly released Daisuke's lips.

"What was _that_? I didn't like _that_."

The angel silenced Daisuke with another kiss. It was neater this time, almost as nice as the first one. Krad's tongue was calm and patient, considerately touching and rubbing places that pushed the redhead's buttons (in a good way, of course). It felt good.

…Which made Daisuke feel bad. How was he supposed to forget about Satoshi when Krad was being so good? So wonderful…like how Daisuke wanted _Satoshi_ to be to him…

_Satoshi_.

It wasn't working. What good was accepting Krad's offer if it didn't work? This was dirty; for Krad's pleasure, not for Daisuke's benefit. What benefit was there when he was still hurting inside?

Still…hurting…

All of a sudden, a sharp pang ran up his spine, and it took him a moment to realize just what it was. Krad's fingers callously raked across the tender flesh of his back, his nails digging into the flushed skin with malicious intentions. As one hand scraped harshly at the near-raw expanse of the redhead's back, the other lightly trailed itself up his side and to his stomach. The feather light touch made Daisuke's body tremble with a questionable pleasure.

The first hand ground it way down, tearing at the skin and painting a single line of scarlet blood where the middle finger had traveled. The hand firm grasped Daisuke's rear, squeezing it in an indescribable way. Daisuke just didn't know anymore. The grip over his bottom was strong and unyielding, but it gave him reassurance, reassurance that this wasn't wrong. This was so, so right.

The kiss deepened, and Daisuke felt his own tongue spring to life alongside Krad's.

Satoshi would never know, and Daisuke would never stop loving him. It wasn't wrong at all.

Krad's gentle hand traced little designs over the skin of Daisuke's chest and stomach, causing him to let out little kitten-like purrs.

It was _right_. It felt so _good_.

With this instilled in his mind, Daisuke let himself go. The placid hand suddenly bit into his chest, each finger leaving a curved indent where it had struck. The fingers and their nails slid down devastatingly slow, drawing out the intense pain meant just for him.

"K…Krad… Ye-yes. I…" the crimson-eyed boy groaned lowly, pulling away from Krad just long enough to utter these words. "I accept…"

Krad merely grunted in response, quickly capturing the redhead's lips once again. His dragging hand stopped and demandingly kneaded the slim flesh of Daisuke's stomach, making said boy's eyes screw shut and his fingers curl at the agonizing sensation.

It was meant just for him. The release. The pain.

And he loved it.

------

_Pain, without love  
__Pain, I can't get enough  
__Pain, I like it rough  
__'Cause I'd rather feel **pain** than nothing at all_

------

**Killah: **Oh crap. This one was longer than I had expected… o.O Oh well. Just means more KradxDai goodness! xD

Have you ever been hurt? Like…physically, I mean. 'Cause if you have, and you're weird like me, you know what it feels like to be hurt…but not really care. I mean, I let this guy head butt me, I let my friends slap me in the face, and I let people hit me in the back of the head with books and stuff. It _hurts_, but don't complain. It's just like…whatever, y'know?

Anyway, think of Daisuke as a cutter. He craves the pain to forget all his woe and sadness. But the thing is, he can't actually _do_ it. Hell, I wouldn't be able to cut myself even if I really wanted to. And so, he enlists in Krad's help, accepting his offer to hurt. The pain will free him. /mystical gaze/

/cough/ Eh…anyway… **Review**? xD Go on. Try to guess the next pairing. /giggle/ Actually listening to the next song might help, y'know. Go and bask in the 3DG glory. Heheh…


	3. Animal I Have Become– Dark

A note to the authorities: no, there are no gang-related incidents ensuing all over the web. It's just the kick ass-ness of all my reviewers. Carry on with your car-pulling-over, high-speed-chasing, gun-cocking business.

**Chapter:** 3/12  
**Characters: **Dark, Daisuke**  
Pairing:** Dark+Daisuke; implied Dark/Satoshi

**Complete One-X Playlist: **youtube_(dot_)com/view_(underscore)_play_(underscore)_list?p_(equal sign)_55DF31E4069401F1

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_I can't **escape** myself  
So many times I've lied  
But there's still rage __**inside  
**Somebody get me through this nightmare  
I can't **control** myself_

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**_A.N.I.M.A.L_.I._have_.become**

Dark awoke, not to the sound of his clock radio, but to the faint shuffling of sheets. As his bleary eyes reluctantly fluttered open at the noise, he knew it wasn't him. He was lying on his side with his legs curled up to his chest, conscious to the fact that he was completely still and in the same position he had fallen asleep in. It couldn't be him.

The sound of sheets shifting and turning about bled through the nearly paper-thin walls, accompanied now by kittenish moans and the squeaking of a mattress. As a light sleeper, Dark knew he would never be able to fall back asleep with such noises relentlessly resounding in his head.

His now alert eyes narrowed slightly and he strained his ears to pinpoint the location of the quiet sounds that rung out like loud bells in his head. With confusion heavily clouding his mind, he concluded that the hushed ruckus was coming from his left.

Daisuke's room.

Curious to why the usually heavy sleeper was tossing and turning in his slumber, Dark silently swung his feet out of bed, slowly letting them drop to the floor with an inaudible thump. With the stealth possessed only by the great Phantom Thief Dark, the wine-eyed angel toed his way over to his ex-tamer's room.

The door creaked as Dark's tanned hand pushed on its surface, slowly swinging open to reveal the shadowy insides of Daisuke's room. With effortless silence, Dark stepped up to the sleeping redhead's bed, which had been taken down a few months ago and replaced by one with legs that actually touched the floor.

Daisuke's unconscious form stilled, as though he sensed Dark there, but a second later, he turned onto his side and curled up into a ball. The next second, he let out a "humph" sort of noise and unrolled himself, grimacing as he did so.

Confused, Dark continued to watch his ex-tamer. Usually, once Daisuke was out, he was out. There was no moving, no twitching, and no noises in his sleep. Why…all of a sudden…?

Out of nowhere, Daisuke gave a strangled gasp. His scarlet brows knitted together and his upper lip quirked up, revealing a peek of his clenched teeth. "K…"

Dark strained to hear the redhead's unconscious mumble.

"Kr…"

That's when the thief's attention was directed toward something very odd. A strange blemish peeked out from the wide neckline of Daisuke's overlarge nightshirt in the shape of a line. Intrigued, Dark leaned forward. His still hand reached forward, gently tugging the neck of the old shirt down to reveal the rest of the mark.

As a centuries-old magical manifestation, Dark thought that nothing would ever take him by surprise. However, this was not the case.

_Krad._

Carved into the pale skin of his ex-tamer's torso, in the fleshy area right under his collarbone, was that four-lettered name.

_Krad._

The name, its existence, and the fact that it was branded onto _his _tamer – note the lack of the prefix _ex_ – made Dark sick.

"…Krad…" Daisuke groaned lowly, having finally completed the word his subconscious had been trying to expel. "D…no. …S-stop."

Dark reeled back. Daisuke was dreaming of Krad?

What had Krad _done_ to him?

Dark swelled up in anger, his hands clenched in fists of rage. Had Krad dared to _touch_ Daisuke? To carve his stupid, ugly, meaningless name into Daisuke's flesh? Had he? Because if he had, Dark was ready to rip the powerless angel to shreds.

The empathetic Dark ran a gentle finger over the name etched with scabs, causing Daisuke to yelp. As though burnt, Dark jumped and pulled his hand away.

"Krad…you bastard." _What have you done to Daisuke?_

"Not there…" Daisuke mumbled. There was pain in his voice, a breathless pain that broke Dark's heart.

How long had Krad been terrorizing the little redhead?

The dark angel's hand drifted back to Daisuke's marred flesh, gently patting and caressing the spot in what he hoped was a delicate, soothing manner. His hand was steady and resolute, unwavering in its task to bring comfort to the redhead.

However, inside, he was fuming. The anger ran through Dark's veins, pumping his bloodstream with rage. But Dark knew. It wasn't truly Krad Dark was furious with. In reality, the thief was furious with himself.

Why had he not noticed it?

Daisuke used to be his _tamer_, the one he _shared a body _with. Why had Dark never noticed it? Why had he never noticed that a grudge-holding psychopath had been abusing his other half? Why had he never taken the time to _try_ and notice?

Dark had an answer for the questions that ran through his head, and this answer applied to each one. Frankly, Dark was a bastard.

Dark had never noticed what had been going on around him because he was wrapped up in his own life, his own adventures. There was the thrill of him getting his own body, the joy of finally seeing to Krad's downfall, and the pleasure of his new relationship with Satoshi.

Since when had he become so two-faced? He had told Krad that the Niwas were his family, yet he had abandoned Daisuke and cared little for the other's well being. He had promised Daisuke his unending protection, and there he was, doing everything _but_ keeping that promise.

"Daisuke, I'm sorry," Dark breathed hoarsely. The black angel pulled up a chair at the head of Daisuke's bed, his deep lavender eyes firmly locked onto his shifting form. "I'm sorry you became Krad's next target. I'm sorry I never paid attention. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. Will you forgive me, Dai-chan? Please." Very slowly, his hand crept up Daisuke's neck, past his cheek, and became entwined within the silky tresses of the redhead's hair. "I'll make it all better," he promised. "And I mean it this time."

Daisuke moaned and stilled, as though Dark's touch calmed him. He rolled over so that he faced the wall, but pushed his head back a bit, leaning into the comforting hand in his hair.

Dark watched the redhead fondly, a smile creeping into his lips. He had forgotten how cute Daisuke was.

The thief chuckled dryly under his breath as soon as that thought crossed his mind. It was then that the new state of peace the room had been enshrouded in was ripped in two. A shadow fell over Dark's eyes, and whatever hope he had just gained to make himself feel like less of a bad guy darkened.

No. He hadn't forgotten at all. No matter how hard he tried, he could never forget.

"Dai-chan…" he breathed out lowly, using the name he had always used for Daisuke back when they had been sharing the same body. "Where…" His eyes glazed over in memory, a dejected air surrounding him. "Where did we go wrong?"

Dark fell silent at that, content to just watch the redhead's restless slumber. It wasn't until Daisuke rolled over to face him, revealing to him his utterly serene face captured by innocent sleep, did Dark fall into thought again.

Where _did_ they go wrong?

Dark and Daisuke had shared a _body_, for Kami's sake. How much easier could it get? Dark was there, Daisuke was there – how could they _not_ just fall in love?

Or more specifically, how could Daisuke not?

Dark had. Why hadn't Daisuke?

Stifling a sigh, Dark ran a hand through his violet hair. There was no use in dwelling on the past. He had Satoshi now – what more could he ask for?

What more could he ask for…aside from Daisuke's optimism, cheer, wonder, care, and innocence? …Satoshi was great, yes, but he could never be as special to Dark as Daisuke was.

Dark wondered why he ever decided to kiss Satoshi that fateful night in which Krad met his demise. Maybe it was physical attraction. Perhaps he felt in debt to the Hikari for healing him. Or maybe the bitter tone the blunette's voice that made Dark want to sympathize with him.

So what did that mean? Was their relationship created on a foundation cemented with pity?

Dark shook his head. That couldn't be it. He wasn't so cold as to lead Satoshi on like that.

But that too was a statement to be questioned.

He was the Phantom Thief Dark, known for his masterful thieving skills, his rugged good looks, and his playboy reputation. But he and the Niwas knew. It was no simple 'reputation,' no façade. It was reality, a sinful truth that had stayed with him since his creation. It was a curse of his, a curse of petty desires and attractions. It haunted him for many a century, and yet, he fell prey to it each time; each time, taking up a date for a day or two, a lover for a night or two, and then abandoning them along the way, tossing them aside like a rag doll.

Maybe that was it. Maybe he was playing with Satoshi's heart, stringing him along for his own enjoyment.

But this would be the first time that no enjoyment flooded his veins. There was only stone-cold resentment.

_This is why I can't have him, _Dark realized, his head dropping onto his chest in shame. _When I fell in love with Dai, I promised myself that I would change. But I can't. And somehow…he knew that. He's a smart boy. _He smiled ruefully. _He was smart enough to stay away from me._

Dark stood, as silent as night itself and ready to leave the room when Daisuke groaned again, his head tossing to the side restively.

"D…don't leave," the redhead called weakly, his voice a mere whisper. "Please."

Dark froze, those words stopping him in his tracks. Never mind that Daisuke was in the deepest of sleeps, the deepest of dreams and memories. Never mind that Daisuke was dreaming of _Krad_ and for some reason, calling out to _him_ of all people. Never mind that Dark had his own person to love and obey.

Dark heard that one request, the request to stay, and he chose to comply.

However, instead of dropping back into his seat, he quietly pulled himself up onto the mattress of Daisuke's bed. Crawling into a comfortable position beside the sleeping redhead, he readjusted the sheets and pulled them over the both of them. Hesitantly, he placed an awkward arm around Daisuke's chest. When the other didn't stiffen or protest, he pulled himself closer to his tamer's warm body, wrapping his arm more lovingly around the redhead.

"Good-night, Daisuke…" he mumbled softly.

No dreams or guilt trips plagued him the entire night. The usually light sleeper slept rather deeply that night, tightly clutching his slumbering tamer.

In the darkness of his mind, he had no thoughts of the animal he had become, the one that neglected his beloved redhead and focused only on himself.

He had no thoughts of the animal he had always been, the one that played with hearts and bodies and was cursed to be loveless forever.

There was only blissful sleep – a beautiful sleep curled up beside the boy he truly loved.

------

_Help me believe  
It's not the __**real me  
**Somebody help me tame  
This **animal** I have become_

------

**Killah: **Bet'cha didn't see my view on Dark's connection to _Animal I Have Become_ coming. As soon as you hear the song, you'd probably think of Krad trying to repent or something… But not me! Heheh… I was planning to make it about Krad in the beginning…but this just popped into my head. n.n

Please remember that Daisuke was asleep during _all_ of this and that Dark doesn't know that Daisuke _agreed_ to engage in these 'activities' with Krad.


	4. Never Too Late– All

I haven't a pet or a boyfriend, so I've got plenty of love to throw at my reviewers. Love you all! x3

**Chapter:** 4/12  
**Characters: **Dark, Satoshi, Krad, Daisuke**  
Pairing: **Krad/Dark; Dark/Satoshi; Dark+Daisuke; Daisuke+Satoshi

**Complete One-X Playlist: **YouTube deleted my first account, which had the playlist on it… Now it's lost and I'm too lazy to put it back up. Sorry folks. nn;; Just look it up on YouTube though. Someone else should have a One-X playlist up.

--

_The world we knew  
__**Won't**__ come back  
The time we've __**lost**__  
Can't get back  
The __**life**__ we had  
Won't be ours again_

_--_

**NEVER.**_**too**_**.l.a.t.e **

_Mocking wine eyes locked onto cool tawny ones, and two matching smirks were mirrored on both their faces. Situated several feet away from each other, the opposites were at a standoff. A stifling silence rang loudly throughout the heated atmosphere, doing everything _but_ alleviating the tension in the air. _

"_Fancy meeting you here, Dark Mousy," Krad began, his tone perfectly eloquent _–_ as though he still had the power to destroy the other. "How has new life been faring for you? Perhaps you know by now that I've been quite _busy_ with mine. Been doing a few things…people…" _

_The mocking eyes smoldered with rage and the smirk was reduced to an animalistic sneer. "Care to say that to my face, blondie?" Dark took a threatening step forward, his teeth bared and his clenched knuckles white. _

"_I would more than care to do that, Mousy." In a burst of speed Dark could only stare amazed at, Krad appeared before him, golden hair swishing. "In fact, I would _love_ to." _

_Dark growled under his breath, his wine-colored eyes flashing and his face less than a foot away from Krad's. "Why Daisuke, you bastard?" he started abruptly. _

_Krad's cool face remained indifferent to Dark's fury. "Would you rather he be lonely? Isolated? You and Satoshi had _abandoned_ him. I had no choice but to approach him. I was simply there to pick him up and put him back on his feet." _

_Dark froze at the mention of the part he played in Daisuke's suffering. "Then explain the scars! Explain why he cries your name at night, looking so pained." _

"_He _asked_ for it." _

_Dark didn't realize how literal Krad's statement was. "Daisuke doesn't deserve any of your bullshit, Krad. You hurt him, and I will never forgive you for what you've done."_

_Krad grasped the tip of his ponytail, stroking it slowly with his gloved fingers. "I don't recall ever asking for your forgiveness, Mousy," he responded smoothly._

"_Don't patronize me, Krad!"_

_Now seething, Dark reeled his arm back, preparing to ruthlessly pulverize Krad's smirking face. However, when his shaking fist was less than an inch from the other's nose, a white, gloved hand rapidly shot out and grabbed his wrist, preventing him from causing any damage to the blonde's face._

"_Dark." Krad called the other by his first name for the first time since their initial encounter, his placating tone contradicting with the scornful sneer on his face. "Now why would you do that?"_

_Dark slowly locked eyes with his opponent, his own violet ones widening in shock that his attack had been stopped._

"_Why would you try to harm me for what I did for your little redhead?"_

"'_For'?" Dark repeated, aggravated. "You did nothing but hurt him. You did nothing but make him feel pain!"_

_Krad's tawny eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh, and you didn't? I found him and he was hurt by you. You took something precious away from him, and you even went so far as to isolate him. How did _I_ harm him when all the things that you have done to him have caused him pain worse than the physical kind?"_

"_I did no such thing! What did I take from Daisuke? I gave him all I could, and I would give my _life_ for him!"_

_Krad chuckled lowly. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Dark."_

"_I will keep that promise until I _do_ die, Krad, and don't you dare think otherwise."_

"_You don't have to die to give your life, dear other." Krad's voice had become a sudden soft, and his golden eyes had dulled from a piercing glare to a nearly gentle glitter. "I will resist him if I am allowed…you."_

_Dark froze the moment that last syllable was uttered from his enemy's lips. "M-me?"_

"_You." Krad cupped the black angel's cheek in his right hand, leaned forward so very slowly, so very deliberately, and pressed their lips together in an intimate kiss._

_It went no farther than lips touching lips, but Dark anxiously pushed away with a start, his normally composed eyes wide with panic and turmoil. He ran a hand over the cheek Krad had cupped, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Wh-what?" he stammered, his fingers trailing from his cheek to his tingling lips._

_Krad merely laughed at his befuddlement. "Am I not allowed you, then?" He scoffed. "Hmph. You were never one for keeping promises anyway, Dark. So much for your dear Daisuke's innocence," he sneered scornfully. "And to think – you could have prevented it." Another burst of hateful laughter bubbled from Krad's lips, and without another word, he turned and walked away._

_Dark stood in silence, his body ramrod stiff and his fingers still ghosting over his lips. He watched with perturbed eyes as Krad walked briskly away from him, until the demonic angel was nothing but a speck of white and startling yellow among a fresh meadow of lush green grass. He blinked, willing away the chaos swirling within his mind, and his limp fingers curled into a fist._

"_Damn that bastard. Damn him to hell and back."_

"Dark? Dark, did you hear me?"

Dark started from his reverie, his eyes snapping open and up to lock with Satoshi's. "…What? I'm sorry, no."

The blunette made a muffled noise caught in between a scoff and an impatient snarl. However, despite the irritation showing on his face, Satoshi's eyes, although shielded by the pair of glass lenses we wore for no reason at all, were filled with concern. "I asked, 'Are you all right?'"

Dark nodded too quickly for Satoshi's liking. "Yeah…just thinking about…you." His uneasy countenance quickly melted into his usual playboy façade, and he smirked at Satoshi with unholy eyes. "About you and what ­_fun_ we had last night…"

Satoshi's face burned a bright red. "Y-you don't have to say it like that. We had _dinner_ and a movie."

Dark chuckled. "Ah, yes, I know that." He leaned from his spot on one side of the couch over to Satoshi's and ran his fingers down the side of the blunette's face. "But I love how red your ears get when you blush."

"Da-_ark_." The closed, secluded Satoshi actually attempted an almost-whine. Batting Dark's fingers away from his face, he then shot an almost-pout at the dark angel. "Now why would you do that?"

Dark's entire body stiffened.

"_Dark." Krad called the other by his first name for the first time since their initial encounter, his placating tone contradicting with the scornful sneer on his face. "Now why would you do that?"_

"I – uh…" Dark withdrew his arm, bringing it back to his side, and slowly lifted himself up from the sofa. His eyes went wide as the past began to entwine itself with the present. Suddenly, Satoshi didn't look as attractive anymore. His beautiful silver-blue hair shone with bright gold hues and his casual clothing flickered white with fancy cuffs.

"_Why would you try to harm me for what I did for your little redhead?"_

The concerned look Satoshi had now donned morphed into an ugly sneer, paired with a dangerous glare shot with striking tawny eyes.

"_Don't make promises you can't keep, Dark."_

"Dark? Dark!"

With eyes as wide and frightful as a deer in the headlights of an eighteen-wheeler, Dark bolted from the room. He reached the front door, struggled with the doorknob for a split second, and finally burst out when it gave way. He didn't look back.

Satoshi was left on the couch, wondering what he had said to make Dark so alarmed.

-- 

"He's been acting weird, y'know…" Satoshi stirred his lemonade slowly, watching as the ice crystals dissolved into nothingness. "We don't get out as much, and when we just hang around, he always seems so jumpy and…distant, like he's thinking about something so hard that he can't focus on the real world."

"Is that so?" Daisuke put away the canister of instant lemonade powder and nursed his own drink with slow, deliberate fingers.

"Things were supposed to be different one we all separated," Satoshi sighed. "When Dark and I…got together…we weren't supposed to be as awkward and hateful toward each other, like we were when he was the thief and I was the guy in charge of catching him. It was great in the beginning – but…then… Things changed. I don't know what came over him. Maybe it was me…or maybe something happened…"

Daisuke's eyebrows furrowed. "No, Hiwatari-kun. It could never be you. It was probably Dark. Do you want me to yell at him for you?" he voiced hesitantly.

Satoshi let the shadow of a smile ghost over his lips. "…No. But thanks for offering, Niwa-kun. You're a good friend." He didn't see how plastic Daisuke's smile became at the mention of his being a friend, and he certainly didn't see the flash of disappointment that glittered in his scarlet eyes for that split second.

Daisuke let out a strained laugh. "Yeah, well don't worry about it. Dark's like that, y'know? You don't know what it's like sharing a body with him. One minute he's all lovey-dovey and happy, the next he's sulking in his corner. He'll get over it eventually, and soon enough, you'll get back your romantic dates and your _Dark_."

Satoshi didn't seem to notice the fact that Daisuke had spat out the thief's name as though it had left a bad taste in his mouth. "I dunno, Niwa-kun. What if _that_ was the phase? What if his being with me was all just a phase? What if this is the real him, and he doesn't want me anymore?" His cerulean eyes blinked slowly and he turned away from Daisuke's comforting gaze. "I…I shouldn't be talking to you about this," he sighed. "I don't want to seem…" He stared down at the tiles on the counter. "Weak."

Daisuke's face broke into a small, gentle smile. Slowly, he took Satoshi's hand, held it within his own, and guided the blunette's vision back up to him. "Hiwatari-kun, don't say that. We're _friends_," he said earnestly, trying his best not to change his facial expression at the word 'friends.' "We're supposed to be open about these things. Please don't treat me like an outsider. I would _never_ think you were weak. You are the strongest person I know."

Satoshi stayed silent. Suddenly, his eyes hardened and a determined glint appeared within their endless, oceanic depths. "You know what, Niwa-kun? Thank you." He released Daisuke's hands, slipped off his stool, and headed toward the kitchen's backdoor. "You're not an outsider, Niwa-kun. I know you'll always be there for me." He gave Daisuke a genuine smile, one that made the redhead's heart flutter. "But right now, I'm gonna have a little _chat_ with Dark…"

The door slammed as Satoshi left the house, leaving Daisuke alone in the kitchen with two full glasses of lemonade. He sighed, the enthusiastic face he had adopted a minute ago quickly fading away. "I'll always be there for him, yes, but can I bear being so close…?"

Outside, Satoshi was sprinting. He had to find Dark. It wasn't too late to turn things around.

--

"_Damn that bastard. Damn him to hell and back."_

_The walking Krad smirked as he heard Dark curse his existence. However, as soon as he was sure Dark was nowhere near him, the smirk morphed into an ugly, malicious scowl._

"'_Damn me,' Dark? No, no. Damn yourself. Who are you to deny me? Who are you to push away my advances? You are _no one_."_

_The blonde broke into an outright wicked laugh, one that would make others question his sanity._

"_But don't you worry. You'll be mine yet. It's not too late to keep that promise you made to me. However… That does not mean I have to keep _my_ side of the bargain up."_

_Another laugh burst from Krad's lips as he briskly walked to the 'meeting place' where he and his redhead usually met._

--

Dark closed the front door behind him as he stepped into the Niwa residence. "I'm home," he announced quietly, not expecting anyone to be waiting up for him.

However, noises in the kitchen attracted him. With the stealth of a thief, he inched toward the source of all the racket.

The first thing he saw was a bob of bright red hair, and immediately, his pulse quickened a bit. "Daisuke…" he whispered, his call inaudible to the other.

The redhead was at the sink, pouring something down the drain. He did it slowly, with limps arms and a slumped posture, and his hair seemed wilted and sad (if hair could even _look_ sad…). The sight broke Dark's heart.

What could make Daisuke look so sad?

"_So much for your dear Daisuke's innocence," he sneered scornfully. "And to think – you could have prevented it."_

Silent, Dark turned around. Without even dropping a greeting to his ex-tamer, he tiptoed up the stairs and to his room, where the darkness of it dampened his spirits even more. He sighed, drank in the stale air, and dropped onto his bed with his head in his hands.

"Daisuke…"

The clanking of dishes came muffled up the stairs and through Dark's closed door, soon followed by Daisuke's now cheerful call, "If anyone's home, I'm going out for a walk!"

Dark's ears perked and released his face from his cupped hands. "'Going out for a walk'?" he whispered quietly. "Or walking straight back into Krad's horrible, stupid, bastard arms? Daisuke…can't you see that I love you?" He sighed. "When you were sad…when you were down… Why didn't you just come to me for comfort? Why _him_?"

Dark rose from the bed, the mattress squeaking in response to the loss of his weight. "I could have helped you. I could have loved those tears and worries away. I would have never hurt you. …But you went to _him_ instead. And he hurts you. And yet, for some reason, you stay with him."

Dark punched the wall, a loud growl escaping his throat. "_WHY?_"

With red, tingling knuckles, Dark wrenched the door open and trudged out of the room.

As he stomped back down the stairs, Dark's mind wandered.

"_And to think – you could have prevented it."_

The dark angel froze. "Could've prevented it." Letting a halfhearted smirk appear on his face, Dark stared blankly into space. "He speaks as though there isn't enough time to prevent it." The halfhearted smirk disappeared, leaving room for a sincere smile. "But there is. I _can_ prevent it."

With renewed vigor, Dark nearly skipped down the rest of the stairs. "It's never to late to save my Dai-chan and make him mine!"

--

_No one will ever __**see**__  
This side reflected  
And if there's __**something**__ wrong  
Who would have guessed it  
And I have left __**alone**__  
Everything that I own  
To make you feel like  
It's __**not**__ too late  
It's never too __**late**_

--

**Killah:** _Never Too Late_ is about suicide – er, at least that's what the straightforward lyrics tell me… Anyway, I can't have anyone in this fic too angsty (just yet, anyway), so no one's gonna be contemplating suicide any time soon. X.x Well, I took the _'Never Too Late' _part…and crafted my chapter on it and it alone (yeah, pretty much). It's never too late to fix your relationship/rape your enemy/save your true love, now is it? xDDD

Also, I'm _really_ sorry about the delay… I've just got my mind fixated on Why The Caged Bird Sings, and graduation is in a week. /bursts out crying/ We've got our finals, and I've gotta get focused on my valedictorian speech. /whistles innocently/ Which was due a coupl'a days ago…


	5. On My Own– Krad

:-) :-) :-) Hearts out to all. /heart heart/. :-) …Says the bitch who hasn't updated in forever… xD

**Chapter:** 5/12  
**Characters: **Krad, Satoshi**  
Pairing: **Krad/Satoshi; mentioned Dark/Satoshi

**Complete One-X Playlist: **YouTube deleted my first account, which had the playlist on it… Now it's lost and I'm too lazy to put it back up. Sorry folks. nn;; Just look it up on YouTube though. Someone else should have a One-X playlist up.

------

_I walk **alone**  
Think of home  
**Memories** of long ago  
No one knows I lost my **soul** long ago_

_------_

_**on**_**.MY.**_**own**_

Krad watched with hate-filled eyes as Daisuke's retreating back disappeared behind a thicket of trees that lead back to the cement trail of the park, where they had taken to conducting their 'frequent activities.' He could tell from Daisuke's performance during their latest romp that the redhead just wasn't interested. Beneath each cry of pain and every gasp of pleasure was a hollow emptiness that totally killed Krad's mood. It wasn't as though he _cared_ about the younger one's inner turmoil – but it was the cause of Daisuke's turmoil that made Krad bubble with fury.

"Satoshi," the blonde hissed under his breath, overstepping a lovely patch of bloodstained grass. "That is his fault."

Who did the little weakling think he was, distracting his toy from him? Satoshi was nothing but a sorry excuse for a tamer who couldn't keep the enemy's tongue out of his mouth long enough to see that he really had no reason to continue living after he and Krad had been separated.

Krad sighed idly, placing his hands into the pockets of his brilliantly white pants as he strolled out into the city. With absolutely nothing left to entertain him, the blonde angel was already on the prowl for a new target to manipulate.

And what a coincidence it was for him when he saw none other than the blue-haired vessel he had once inhabited briskly walking through the streets as though in search for something.

Flashing no one in particular a frighteningly pleased smirk, Krad surged forward in a blur of white and yellow, shadowing the rapid blunette's every step. With the help of his own natural stealth, the blonde followed his ex-tamer for another block before spotting his chance –

A dark alley sandwiched between two closed stores.

As soon as Satoshi's foot stepped near the threshold of the alley, Krad catapulted himself forward. With his momentum and the strength powered into his ambush, he was able to send the foolish teen flying several feet into the alley, which – to Krad's delight – had no exit. Where one would have been, had it existed, was a tall brick wall.

Chuckling madly, Krad walked forward, his shadow stretching forebodingly over Satoshi's fallen body. "Satoshi-sama," he greeted calmly, his hands stuffed coolly in his pockets, as though he had not just barreled the other to the floor.

"Please." Clearing his throat as he peeled himself off the gravel, Satoshi sat up. "Spare me the honorific you so obviously don't mean."

"What do you mean, Satoshi-sama?" Krad wondered with perfectly voiced confusion.

Satoshi pulled himself onto steady feet, a scowl already forming on his face. "Krad, I'm serious. Shut up. I don't need any of your shit right now."

"And why not?"

Satoshi nearly tugged at his hair in irritation. "Do I need to explain myself to you? Must I elucidate each and every thing I do and why? Just get out of my face. I have better places I could be."

"Like where? In the arms of Dark?"

Satoshi rolled his eyes. "Yes, Krad," he drawled scornfully, "in the arms of Dark."

Krad shook his head, as though he was disappointed in his ex-tamer. "Poor, poor Satoshi. Mislead and strung along; and yet, he still follows after the thief as though he were a savior."

"What are you talking about?" Satoshi demanded.

"What I'm talking about, Satoshi-sama, is Dark's infidelity to you."

"Infidelity? There is no infidelity. He loves me." Satoshi knew he was falling into a trap.

He of all people, Krad's vessel and prisoner for many years, would know one of the blonde's mind traps.

"Has he ever said that? That he loved you, that is." Krad smirked. He knew Dark would never utter those three words to anyone. Dark was not the type of person to.

He of all people, Dark's other half for centuries on end, would know how the angel's mind and love life worked.

"Well… No. But it was…implied." Oh how the mighty have fallen! Could Satoshi sound any more stupid in front of his tormentor? Inwardly, he was punching himself.

"'Implied'?" Krad's laughter helped Satoshi's mood no more than his taunting did. "Satoshi, Satoshi. Dark implies a lot of things. Love isn't one of them. You, by now, after all his flirtatious heists and meetings with you while he still inhabited Daisuke's body, should have known that."

Not catching the fact that Daisuke's first name had been thrown in there, Satoshi blinked. Perhaps Krad was right…

"He doesn't know what love is. Dark doesn't know anything."

Satoshi snarled, "And you do?"

Krad approached his tense ex-tamer slowly, and to his own surprise, Satoshi didn't shy away. "Yes. I do. I've told you many, many times. I love you."

That was when Satoshi snapped. His right arm lashed out at Krad, who was too fast for him, as he was with Dark. "Let me go, Krad," he sighed, the aggression in his eyes greatly hidden by his calm voice.

Krad smirked, his fingers wrapped tightly around Satoshi's forearm. "You're the one who lashed out at me, Satoshi-sama. I have every right to bind you. If I were to let you go, what would reassure me that I'd be safe from your barbaric hands?"

"Nothing," Satoshi growled, "because you're not!"

"Now now, that's not placating me at all." Krad's tone was mocking.

"Damn it, Krad! Why did you…" Satoshi's eyes flitted down to the ground, his head echoing with the words Dark had never told him. "Why did you have to say that?"

"Say what? That I love you?"

"Krad!"

"Well I do. You are mine. You have been ever since your birth into the Hikari family."

"You sound like an incestuous brother." Satoshi deadpanned, the humor in his sentence about as bland as his tone.

Krad was unimpressed. "I've said it many a time. When we shared the same body. Every moment I had alone with you, I would profess that single phrase. I love you. You would drive me away. I love you. You would pine for Daisuke's friendship. I love you. You would yell and scold and glare and push. I love you."

"You never meant it, that's why I brushed it off so easily." Satoshi, caught up in such a heated discussion, didn't notice the loosening of Krad's fingers around his arm.

"I never meant it? Never meant it? Every time my wings would wrap around you, every time my hands would caress your face – I love you. Fool. That's what you are to reject me. I love you."

"Look at that. Look at how it slips from your lips, as though you're telling the weather. It's not something that should just…come out. It should take… It should put you in utter turmoil to finally say."

"No, it shouldn't. I say it, because I have the dignity to. Maybe the way you believe in is only the way you believe in because that's how Dark works. But on the contrary – he's not in 'utter turmoil.' He just plain _doesn't care_."

"Don't _say that_ about him," Satoshi growled.

"What about me, Satoshi-sama? I can't talk about him, but you can talk about me? Talk about how you hate me and how I lie to you?" Krad's hands were slowly crawling down Satoshi's body, down to his waist, where his strong arms encircled him.

"G…get off me, Krad." Satoshi's stomach clenched tensely. He hadn't been held like this in a long time.

"But I'm not lying to you," Krad continued, pulling their bodies together so that their fronts met in an intimate embrace.

Satoshi was silent, which seemed like a positive sign to Krad.

Krad nuzzled Satoshi's neck, surprisingly gentle. "Satoshi-sama… May I…kiss you?"

Satoshi froze. "I…I have Dark, though."

Krad tightened the hug. "Haven't you heard anything I've said? I love you, much much more than he ever will. You are my other half. We belong together."

Satoshi stared down at the ground. "…One kiss, Krad."

Krad was surprised by Satoshi's answer, wholly thinking that the blunette had much more self control than that. But he couldn't blame him, because Krad knew he was once hell of a manipulator. Slowly, he tilted the other's chin up so that he had better access to those sweet, hesitant lips.

When the kiss came, Krad felt nothing. Their lips moved in sync, their hands wandered freely, their tongues danced perfectly, and the heat was there; but as he knew he would, Krad was unmoved.

In fact, he was feeling a little ripped off. And so, some damage was sure to ensue.

"I told Dark you weren't good enough for him," Krad declared once they had broken apart.

Satoshi licked his lips to rid them of Krad's saliva. "You and Dark still talk?"

"Yes." Absently, Krad ran his fingertips up and down Satoshi's slim back, causing the other to shiver slightly. "Among…other things."

"'Other things'?" Satoshi's eyes narrowed. His hands found themselves on Krad's chest, pushing away slightly to look him in the eye.

"Hm. Well _oops_," Krad added, his eyes dancing gleefully. "You weren't supposed to know that."

Satoshi shook himself out of Krad's arms, his soft eyes already hardening in rage.

"Well, if it's consolation to you at all, you're the better kisser."

"And so you two've kissed?" Satoshi demanded.

"Um…" Krad was inwardly grinning.

"And how long ago was this?"

"A week ago, prolly…"

"A week ago? Well _damn_. I guess _that's_ why he's been acting so weird around me! 'Cause he's been sneaking around with _you_! That _bastard_!" Satoshi sneered vehemently.

"Well again, if it's any consolation, I like you better," Krad voiced in helpfully, his cheerful tone not helping Satoshi at all.

"Well that sure helps me," Satoshi snarled. "While you tell me that, Dark's probably setting up your next _date_. _God_, why didn't I see this coming? It's _Dark_, for god's sake! Of course this would be coming! And here I was, thinking he was different…"

Krad nodded. "That's right, that's right. He's a dirty scumbag, he is."

"You! You need to shut up. _'I love you, I love you.' _BS, that's what it is. Go to hell Krad. Because of you, my life is already there!" Satoshi whirled around, stomping out of the alley with only one destination in mind: wherever Dark was – to kick the dark angel's ass.

"Well then… I'll meet it there then," Krad decided coolly, his statement heard only by himself. Once he was sure Satoshi was far enough that the wind wouldn't carry his words down to him, Krad voiced his thoughts.

"I'm actually pretty surprised he believed everything I said. For someone who hates me so much, for someone I had put through so much harm, he's quite the obedient puppy… Looks like I hadn't punished him enough back when he was my vessel… Is that all it took? A simple 'I love you'? Well then…" Krad chuckled.

"It's just too bad I was lying through all of it."

Krad sent the empty alley one last scathing look before continuing on his stroll down the street.

It didn't quite matter that he was all alone.

As long as he was raising hell for all those who had wronged him in the past, then he was perfectly fine with being on his own.

------

_**Lie** too much  
She said that she's had **enough**  
Am I **too** **much**?  
S**he **said that she's had enough_

_------_

**Killah:** Wow. I really suck. Seriously. Gaaahhh... I took way too long to finish this chapter… I'm such an ass. /crawls into a hole and dies/ …By the way, I want to thank Violet Garnets and KousukeAsazuki, whose recent reviews have helped kick my ass back into writing gear for this particular fic. Thanks guys. /glomp/


	6. Riot– Satoshi

Oh my. Hiatus my ass… xD Anyway, my reviewers keep me from kicking the proverbial writing bucket, so thank you!

**Chapter:** 6/12  
**Characters:** Satoshi, Daisuke, Dark  
**Pairing:** Satoshi/Daisuke; mentioned Dark/Satoshi; implied Dark+Daisuke

------

_If you feel so empty  
__So __**used**__ up, so let down  
__If you feel so angry  
__Just __**get up  
**__**Let's**__ start a riot, a riot  
__Let's __**start**__ a riot  
__Let's start __**a**__ riot, a riot  
__Let's start a __**riot**_

------

**R****.**_**i.O.**_**t**

Satoshi stormed throughout Azumano once again, his face set resolutely and his strides vindicated and quick. However, this time, his thoughts were murderous instead of concerned. Said thoughts spiraled around a certain violet-haired thief who had stolen his heart with mal-intent. _Malicious intentions._

Satoshi had been wronged, gravely wronged – and he was more than ready to take all of Dark's malicious intentions and shove them up the other's ass.

Scowling darkly to himself, Satoshi could feel his mind screaming and his stomach curling with displeasure. How could he have been so stupid as to trust Dark? _Trust_ and _Dark_ had never before been used in a sentence; why had he thought that if he was put into the equation, that would make it all work out? He had to face it: he was nothing more but a pawn in Dark's careless game.

"I don't understand," Satoshi raged to himself, keeping his voice low and forbidding. "Why? I know well enough not to trust people like him and Krad. They're nothing but trouble! I'm better off just keeping to myself." He violently kicked a rock in his path and stared down at his feet. "Keeping to myself and sometimes talking to Niwa-kun. He's the only one I can believe in anymore. He would never wrong me; he's always been there to help me."

Oddly enough, a familiar voice cried out in pain somewhere in front of him. Satoshi looked up, furious expression dissolving at the sight of Daisuke standing just several feet away, rubbing his right thigh with one hand and clutching a small rock in the other. "Itai… What _was_ that?"

Satoshi sped up his stride, reaching Daisuke in record time and pulling the jagged stone from his palm. "That was me. I kicked it." He dropped the rock back onto the ground and shot the redhead an apologetic look. "Sorry…"

"No, no, it's okay," Daisuke gushed, letting go of his abused thigh. "I was just surprised, is all. Say, Hiwatari-kun, did you ever find Dark?"

Satoshi's eyes hardened and he sent his friend a cold look. "No, but I did find his true side."

Daisuke arched a confused brow at this statement, but it disappeared with a bright flash of his smile. "Well if you still want to talk to him, now's your chance. He sent me a text message telling me to meet him on the school roof at around this time. I think he wanted to tell me something, but I'm sure he would much rather see you." The already strained smile on his face brightened, forcing his eyes to light up too. "He should be arriving soon, go ahead."

Satoshi looked past Daisuke and in through the school gates they stood in front of. Oddly enough, he had been unaware of the fact that he had been walking in this direction just several rage-filled minutes ago. However, he was there, Dark was soon to arrive, and retribution would soon be served.

Hell hath no fury like a Hikari scorned.

Setting his face into an earnest grimace, Satoshi gripped Daisuke's wrist and dragged him into the school campus, making an automatic beeline towards the ninth grade building. Practically mowing down the door that led to the roof's staircase, he tugged the redhead's arm impatiently, urging him up the inclination.

"Hiwatari-kun, what are you doing?" Daisuke dig his heels into a step, stopping himself from being dragged up the stairs. "I don't need to be there. You can talk to Dark on your own."

"I don't _care_ about Dark," Satoshi snapped.

The ferocity in his usually emotionless voice startled Daisuke enough to get his legs moving again. "Why not? What did he do to you?"

"Too much," Satoshi muttered. He shoved the door open, exposing them to the direct sunlight of the open rooftop. Taking in a deep, labored breath, he turned around and pulled Daisuke after him to the walled edges of the rooftop. Sitting down heavily against a wall, he closed his eyes and took another breath in an attempt to calm himself. "It doesn't matter."

"It must matter if it's making you act like this," Daisuke reasoned, sitting beside his friend. "Did he hurt you?"

"He's coming, right? To see you, was it?" Satoshi asked sharply, avoiding the question.

"Ah…yeah, he is." Checking his phone, Daisuke nodded to himself. "He should be here soon. He's oddly punctual you know, right on the dot most of the time. Give him maybe three minutes."

After a moment of silence, Satoshi cleared his throat. "I'm not going to tell you what happened…but I'll let you in on what I plan on doing to retaliate. I need you to help me, Niwa-kun; I really hope you won't mind."

Daisuke closed his eyes and shook his head helplessly. "Anything I can do to help, I guess. I still don't see why you have to 'retaliate' but –" Daisuke stopped, his speech cut off by a pair of warm lips pressed flush against his. Stiffening almost painfully, he felt Satoshi push him up against the wall, the other's lips moving roughly against his.

The kiss broke and Satoshi huffed breathlessly, his demeanor slightly ruffled but his voice as cold as ever, tinged with the slightest bit of anger. "I'm sorry, Niwa-kun, but I may be using you."

Daisuke blinked, too shell-shocked to even react to the liplock. Had Satoshi just kissed him? And what had he meant by that?

"I don't need him," Satoshi declared harshly, speaking more to himself than to Daisuke. "I need him to see that." He kissed the redhead again, a heated yet passionless crash of lips against lips. "I'm sorry that you had to get dragged into this." In between rushed kisses, he murmured, "But please – just – play along. – I need – him to see – us." Guiding Daisuke gently, he positioned him onto his back on the floor, climbing quickly on top of him. "You don't have to do anything at all." He kissed Daisuke's unresponsive lips again. "Just let me do everything."

Daisuke's mind finally got over its frozen confusion just in time to avoid another kiss. Instead, he asked, "You're doing this…using me…to get back at him?"

Daisuke's voice sounded so soft and almost hurt that Satoshi couldn't stop himself from forcing a foot of space between their faces out of respect for the other boy. "…It's a dirty thing to do to a person…I know. This is wrong… I should just stop, this isn't fair to you, I mean –"

Before Satoshi could continue, Daisuke made up his mind. With a resolute forwardness the blunette was not aware of, Daisuke surged forward. Slipping his fingers into the other's light tresses, he pulled Satoshi's face down to his and engaged a needy kiss. Satoshi returned it dutifully, his lips moving mechanically.

"Hiwatari-kun," Daisuke muttered shortly, his face slightly flushed, "if you're going to do this, please don't do it half-assed." He allowed the commander a moment of stunned silence before lifting his head for another liplock, his placid lips guiding Satoshi's rougher ones into a gentler kiss. Just because the blunette was angry did not mean it had to show in his ministrations.

As Satoshi slowly, but surely, began to sink into the passion of their session, Daisuke was glowing inside. The boy he loved was kissing him…and it felt really good; better than anything Krad had ever done to his body. It didn't matter that Satoshi was just using him to piss Dark off. It didn't matter that once Dark learned his lesson, Daisuke would yet again mean nothing to the blunette.

All that mattered was that _he_ had his lips on _Satoshi's_, and it was heavenly.

"Niwa-kun, stop," Satoshi murmured suddenly, pulling away from Daisuke.

Daisuke reluctantly stared up at Satoshi, his eyes glazed with nothing but heat and passion. "Hiwatari-kun?"

"Why are you…?"

Daisuke lifted his upper body up slightly, attaching his lips to Satoshi's neck as the blunette trailed off. Kissing the flushed skin softly, travelling from the collar of his shirt up to the shell of his ear, his hesitated slightly before speaking. "I love you. That's it. And I know this may be the only opportunity I'll have with you, so I'm taking it. I don't care. I just want you, even if it's just for three minutes."

Satoshi guided Daisuke down onto his back again, forcing him to stare him straight in the eye. "Niwa…" Satoshi sighed, removing the honorific with slight difficulty. "I don't think –"

"I don't want rejection, Hiwatari-kun. I would be much better off without it." Daisuke reached up and ran his fingers through Satoshi's hair almost desperately. "Please just…humor me."

Slowly, unsurely, Satoshi lowered himself again, gently connecting their lips in a soft, gentle kiss. Pulling away, he stared intensely into Daisuke's ruby-like eyes and gave a single, almost undetectable nod.

The two rushed into another dance of tongues, another exploration of hands. Both boys were so engrossed in the act that the faint sound of a door swinging open did not reach their ears. Consequently, said ears, pumping with so much blood, were greatly surprised when an almost horrified cry filled the air, from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Satoshi…Daisuke?!"

The two boys broke apart rapidly, Satoshi's eyes glowing with triumph and Daisuke's spilling with guilt. "Dark…" the guilty one started, unsure of what to say in a situation such as this. "I…"

The newly arrived Dark took several cautious steps forward, stopping in front of the boys' sprawled bodies uncertainly, his usual air of confidence completely drained. "Satoshi," he sighed, his eyes flitting from Daisuke to Satoshi, "what is this?"

Satoshi collected himself quickly, standing and facing Dark with a blazing sort of smugness. "I know what you've been doing, Dark. I know why you've been so distant."

Dark's gaze snapped towards Daisuke, who was pulling himself up off the floor and taking a supporting position at Satoshi's side. "Satoshi, look –"

"No, _you_ look. All my life I've been tortured and manipulated. And now I find that you've gotten yourself tangled up in the arms of my worst tormentor, loving him at the gleeful risk of abandoning me."

"What are you –"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Satoshi interrupted, plowing through Dark's sentences as the dark angel continued trying to speak.

"– _talking_ about? He was –"

"I refuse to take it. You've betrayed me worse than anyone ever has."

"– never your tormentor. He manipulated _no one_ –"

"'_Manipulated no one_'?! He's controlled me for _so_ _long_."

"No, Daisuke would never do that!"

There was a loud gasp from the observing redhead, followed by the loudest silence any of the three had ever heard.

During which, a death-promising anger practically radiated from every pore in Satoshi's body. "Oh," he muttered, at the exact same moment Daisuke shrieked, "_What_?!"

"Shit."

------

_If you feel so __**filthy  
**__So dirty so fucked up  
__If you feel so __**walked **__**on  
**__So painful so pissed off  
__You're not the only one  
__**Refusing**__ to go down  
__You're not the __**only one  
**__So get up_

------

**Killah: **The entire time I was writing this, I replayed Riot over and over and over to get myself in the mood. Malicious much? x)

By the way, readers of Why The Caged Bird Sings, I'm gonna be straight with you guys – I have done NOTHING to the latest chapter in the past year. I'm a shitface, I know, but nothing's grasped me, really; nothing's inspired me to write something worth your while. Not that I haven't tried, but these attempts kind of failed. Terribly. I just ask that you guys bear with me…perhaps for another year. Oh dear… BYE!:D


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